Two days later, at Teitan High School.
The classroom buzzed with excited chatter. As expected, the mid-term exams had come and gone, and true to form, the report cards were distributed just as quickly.
"Just barely passed!" Sonoko hugged her report card, letting out a huge sigh of relief. "That's fantastic!"
"Sonoko..." Fujino sighed, looking at Sonoko's excited face. "You're a Suzuki heiress, for goodness sake. Can't you aim a little higher?"
"It's already great that I passed!" Sonoko retorted, her voice filled with righteous indignation. "Everyone has their own talents. Honor students like Ran can't understand a lively, energetic girl like me!"
"That's true..." Ran chuckled. "But you're actually quite talented!"
"If you put half that effort into studying, your grades wouldn't be like this..." Fujino, standing nearby, silently nodded, voicing Ran's unspoken thoughts.
That girl, Sonoko, was always gossiping and ditching class to go out and play. In a way, managing to pass was a stroke of genius.
"Ahem!" Sonoko cleared her throat awkwardly, changing the subject. "What about you, Fujino-senpai? You must have done really well this time too, right?"
"Something like that..." Fujino thought for a moment. "If you say 'well,' it's not too well."
"Top ten in your grade isn't 'too well'?" Sonoko's eyebrow twitched. It was really hard being classmates with a genius.
She quickly dropped the thought and eagerly turned to Ran. "Ran, tomorrow, when we go with Uncle Kogoro to the Tokiwa Group to meet that junior, have you thought of a plan?"
"A plan..." Ran thought for a moment, then crossed her arms, looking helpless. "Sonoko, you're thinking way too much! We're just going to keep an eye on my dad, not catch him with another woman!"
Fujino frowned, clearly realizing he hadn't anticipated it would be the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, he was going on a trip with the Detective Boys. And then the day after that was the trip to the Tokiwa Building...
Uh oh, looks like a schedule clash.
Slam!
Just then, Shizuka Hiratsuka slid open the classroom door. She surveyed the room, her aura even more intense than usual. The previously chattering students immediately fell silent under the weight of her presence.
Dressed in a black suit, her vest trembling slightly, she marched directly toward Fujino and his friends, her face a mask of deep resentment that she couldn't hide.
"Do you have a problem with me?" Reaching the desks of the Teitan High trio, Shizuka Hiratsuka narrowed her eyes at Fujino, looking utterly serious as she demanded in a grave tone.
"Huh?" Fujino was startled by her words. In that instant, his mind raced, desperately searching for any memory of when he might have offended the "Iron Fist Saintess" this time. But no matter how long he searched, he found no relevant clues. After all, he hadn't even been coming to school much lately, let alone causing trouble.
So what in the world was this about...?
"You're really slow, aren't you? Are you playing dumb, or are you just genuinely dumb?" Shizuka Hiratsuka crossed her arms, glaring resentfully at Fujino. She murmured, "Perfect scores in science, perfect in English... all those hundred-plus points you lost were in humanities. Doesn't that mean you have a problem with us humanities teachers?"
"Oh, right!" Fujino let out a sigh of relief. "So it's just about grades..."
Shizuka Hiratsuka frowned. "Is that a small matter?"
Fujino: "..."
So the teachers' office was on fire, huh? He was wondering what it was about... At least he hadn't offended the Iron Fist Saintess herself.
Fujino breathed a sigh of relief and then explained, "I don't have a problem with you, I just have a problem with humanities in general."
"Hmm?" Shizuka Hiratsuka was slightly taken aback, clearly not quite understanding what Fujino was getting at... Weren't those two things practically the same?
"If learning is about pursuing truth and the sublimation of the soul, then my current score is already perfect." Fujino sighed, looking down as he spoke solemnly, "My father is Chinese, and there are some issues with historical revisionism and twisted realities that I don't want to answer. If you're talking about having a 'problem,' then yes, I do have a problem with humanities... Even a 'cute Shizuka' can't change my 'opinion' on that."
"Oh... so that's... it..." Shizuka Hiratsuka's beautiful eyes wavered slightly as she looked into Fujino's dark gaze. In an instant, that lingering resentment vanished.
She had witnessed Fujino's progress firsthand, watching a lost boy grow under her guidance. There was a strange sense of accomplishment, a deep satisfaction. But she was a Japanese language teacher, after all! What was with these perfect science scores all the time?! Seeing those science teachers gloating in front of her, Shizuka Hiratsuka felt like her precious little cabbage had been snatched away.
It was a sour feeling.
So, fueled by the complaints of the other humanities teachers, she couldn't help but storm over. Now, thinking back, she regretted it a little.
Muttering a quiet apology to herself, Shizuka Hiratsuka sighed, a slightly sheepish smile on her face. "Alright, I didn't really mean to say anything. I was just pushed into coming here by those people. Those humanities teachers are practically driving me, their advisor, crazy. Honestly, your current grades are more than enough, and as for those things..."
Shizuka Hiratsuka hesitated, then continued, "Hmm, even though I shouldn't say this, you really should have a problem with it. I can understand. After all, I also..."
"It's good that you understand... Hiratsuka-sensei, you're as gentle as ever." Fujino awkwardly scratched his head, trying to cover up the insincere words he'd just uttered. But since they were like-minded comrades, a few insincere words were perfectly fine.
"Ahem, of course! I'm super gentle, alright?!" Shizuka Hiratsuka patted her chest, looking proud.
However, a quick glance caught her eye. It was a flash of light. Looking closer, it was a Rolex...
"..." Shizuka Hiratsuka fell silent for a moment, then asked, "That's a Rolex, isn't it?"
"Huh?" Fujino raised his wrist and chuckled. "I'm surprised you recognized it. It is... but..."
"Huh?" Sonoko looked closer, then gasped in surprise. "I remember this model is the black and red limited edition... The price should be around ten million yen."
"???" Fujino stared at Sonoko, completely bewildered.
Miss Heiress, why do you have to show off your specialized knowledge at a crucial moment like this?
"Ten million?!" Shizuka Hiratsuka froze at the words, her eyes scanning Fujino enviously. Then, a genuinely kind smile spread across her face. "Fujino-kun, it seems you're making quite a lot of money as a detective... Shall we take a trip to the rooftop together?"
Fujino: "..."
Would you believe me if I said I wasn't rich? Sonoko! You're selling me out, my dear friend!
"Ran, did I say something wrong just now...?" Sonoko watched as Fujino was half-coaxed, half-dragged out of the classroom, and asked Ran.
Ran hesitated. "Uh... maybe?"
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